Design Thinking: Baloo Living

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)

In Graduate School, one of the buzzwords professors love to discuss is "Design Thinking." Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding (Dam and Siang). Design Thinking enables a company to understand consumer needs to serve their audience better. For this project, I contacted different companies to learn how the organizations apply Design Thinking into their market offerings. I had the opportunity to talk with Baloo Living to learn more about their organization.

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)

1. What makes Baloo Living different from other weighted blanket brands?

Baloo is the only quilted weighted blanket made with 100% premium cotton―NO polyester or synthetic liners―for cool, natural sleep. With materials certified to be free of harmful chemicals and designed with lead-free glass microbeads, this means our products are clean & safe and are cool & breathable for year-round use.

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)

2. How does Baloo Living incorporate its mission and vision into its products?

Baloo was created to express respect and honor for self, for our communities, and for the universal challenges we experience as humans driven to live our most meaningful lives. We believe that sleep is sacred and it is imperative to being the best versions of ourselves, because we’re better people when we are well-rested. This is why we stand by the quality of our products so you can rest easy knowing they are safe to cozy up with. All of the materials in our products are premium quality, clean, & safe, and we offer a Lifetime Quality Guarantee for workmanship and materials. We donate a portion of profits to the Pajama Program, supporting the most vulnerable children in our communities at bedtime. We are a carbon neutral company (and “ocean positive”) through our partnership with Sea Trees by Sustainable Surf. Blue Ocean projects include replanting mangrove forests on the island of Biak, Indonesia, and restoring kelp forests off the coast of California; ecosystems that can sequester more than five times more carbon from the atmosphere than tropical rainforests! Additionally these projects support sustainable education, and community building while restoring habitat that supports hundreds of threatened and endangered species. Our products are certified vegan through the Vegan Awareness Foundation.

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)

3. What are the quintessential Baloo Living products customers should buy?

Our hero product is the cool cotton weighted blanket, which molds to your body like a gentle hug. The pressure relaxes the nervous system and encourages serotonin production, which lifts your mood. When serotonin naturally converts to melatonin, your body takes the cue to rest. This means a calmer mind and deeper sleep for a healthier life.

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)

4. What is the future of the company?

The future of Baloo is continuing to provide products that help transform the way people sleep and the quality of their sleep. We hope that people are able to get the deep, quality sleep they deserve so they can go out & live their most meaningful lives!

(Image courtesy of Baloo Living)